Controlling device for burglar and fire alarms



March 31,1931. RQKQ EUNE 1,798,207'

CONTROLLING DES/ICE FOR BURGLAR AND FIRE ALARMS Filed May 20, 1930 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 qua,,nununuuni I111,

Patented Mar. 31, 1931 UHTE PETER CURTIS KO EUITE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR BURGLAR AND FIRE ALARMS Application filed May 20,

My invention relates to an alarm and call bell adapted to be sounded by pressing a push button.

A ur ose of m invention is to rovide P P J screw deflection of the button. I am thus enabled to touch the starting screw and set the bell ringing after which it continues to ring irrespective of the operator until any wound-up mechanism runs down or until the position of the starting screw has been changed.

A further purpose is to mount upon a common base a push-button type of bell and an outside bracket carrying a starting screw adapted to engage the push button. I prefer to use a spring-operated bell in which the push button is adapted to rotation to wind up the operating spring and also adapted to inward deflection to ring'the bell after the spring has been wound up, the bell ringing continuously as long as the button is deflected and until the spring mechanism has become unwound.

A further purpose is to provide 'a bracket carrying a set screw which may be swung into and out of registry with the push button aliotfiing the bell to be used as an ordinary tap Further purposes willappear in the specification and in the claims.

I have elected to show one form only of my invention, selecting a. form that is practical and eflicient in operation and which well illustrates the principles involved.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a preferred structure embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken upon the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure f is a horizontal section on the line H of Figure 3. c

Figure 5 is a detail section upon the line 55 of Figure 3.

Like numerals refer to like parts in all N figures.

Describing in lllustratlon and not in limitation and referring to the drawings are usually surrounded by the bell, with the 1930. Serial No. 453,960.

In the past call and alarm bells operated by finger depression of a push button have been justly popular, but nevertheless have been subject to the disadvantage that they are not adapted to ring except during finger dc 5 pression. This had necessitated continuous finger pressure upon the operating button'as long as the bell is to ring, which is often quite undesirable. I g p By my invention I am enabled to start the bell ringing and let it continue to ring without attention as long as desired. This feature is often very advantageous as in case of alarm bells where the person starting the; alarm may have most urgent need to attend to other matters, or in the case of a call bell where it may be desirable to have a bell ring continuously until there has been a response to the call.

I arrange the bracket in position to be moved so as to place aset screw carried by the bracket in position to engage the tap member ofthe bell to cause a continuous ring or by swinging the bracket away from the po--; sition mentioned, to allow use of the bell as an ordinary tap bell. I,

While I am well aware that my invention is adapted to operate withelectrically operated bells as well as to the spring-type I anticipate its widest application to be with the latter type of hell and have for this reason illustrated it with the spring-type of bell.

In springbperated bell units, the spring, I clapper and most of the operating mechanism push button coaxial with and outside the bell. I show in the figures a commercial bell unit 6 and a bracket 7 mounted upon a common base 8, the bracket supporting a screw 5% threaded in its outer end and adapted to engage and deflect an outwardly pressing push button 10 which is coaxial with the bell proper 11 and serves also as key towind up the operating mechanism inside the bell.

The bottom plate 12 of the commercial bell supports. an. upper plate 13 upon suitable post 14.

An operating spiral spring 15 hasoneend rigidly fastened toa king post 16 journaled between the plates 12. and 13, the eth r and log ing30 in the sleeve 18 into a groove 31 in the a seat 35 for the way for winding.

- stopping portion down.

of the spring being fastened to an anchor post 17.

The upper plate carries a central sleeve member 18 which supports the bell 11 above and coaxially with the king post.

A clapper 19 pivotally supported at 20 is operated from the wound-up spring by the king. post 16, gear wheels 21 and 22 and escapement 23, pawl and ratchet mechanism 24: holding the king post from turning in reverse direction.

Normally operation of the clapper is prevented by its engagementat25'with one arm of a rocker member 26 pivoted at 27 above the upper plate.

The rocker .26 is. spring-pressed at 28 so as .to press against the clapper .arm and has an upper arm 29' that extends through an openlower end of the push button which is thus maintained in its outer position by the rocker arm.

"The king post; is extended ab re the upper plate, presenting a square winding post 32 fitting into a square opening 33 in the depres- ,sion button.

Thebracket 7 may conveniently be made otaround rod'flattened at 34 where it engagesthe base 8 and extending upwardly and. then radially inwardly to provide a threaded starting screw. Desirably, the outer end of the push button is recessed at 36 to. receivethe inner end of the starting screw. The bracket is angular-1y ad ustable upon the base about'its holding screw 37 to permit-it to be turned out of the However, the, spring can 7 be wound while the bracket is'in place with the starting screw alined with the push button. V

In operating the alarm, the starting screw 9: is screwed downwardly one or two turns, to downwardly depress the push button'10,a-iter which the bell rings continuously by any suitable mechanism until thestarting screw is vturnedhackto itsoriginal 'postion or until the mechanism runs down. V

Inthe illustration the downward deflection of the push button rocks the release member '26 to release the bell clapper 25 which then operates under theaction of the spiral spring 15 until the screw 9 is-moved back to or until the spring 15 runs In viewof myoinvention and disclosure variations andinodifications te meet individobtain all orpart of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A bell, a push button spring-pressed outwardly, and mechanism adapting the bell to ring if there be and during inward deflection of the button, in combination with a bracket outside the bell and a screw adjustably threaded in the bracket adapted to engage and inwardly depress the button to ring the bell.

2. A bell, a'push'but-ton spring-pressed outwardly, and mechanism adapting the bell to ring if there be and during inward deflection of the button, in-combination with a shiftable bracket outside the bell and a depressing member carried by the bracket and adapted to hold the mechanism in ringing position in one bracket position. 7

3. A supporting base, a bell, a push button coaxial therewith normally spring-pressed outwardly, and mechanism adapting the bell to ring during inward deflection of the button from its normal outward position, in com- 'bination with a bracket from the base outside thebell and ascrew adjustably threaded in the bracket adapted to engage and deflect the button.

Al. A supporting base, a. bell, a combined push button coaxial therewith, and spiral spring mechanism adapted to be wound up 'by rotation of the push-button and key and when wound adapting the bell to ring during inward deflection of the button from its norinal outward-position, in combination with a "coaxial with'the post adapted to'be rung .by

the operation ofthe clapper, and a key and release member coaxial with and surrounding the outer endotthe post adapted to wind up the spring when rotated and to release the clapper by depressing the rocker when defiected toward'the base, incombination with a bracket rigid'with the base and an adjustable,

screw presented and supported by the bracket in position to engage the key and release memher to operate the release.

PETERCURTIS- KO. 'EUN'E.

and I, therefore, claim all such in sofar as 7 they fall within the reasonable spirit? and scope of my invent1on. V

'Hav ng thus ClSCI'lbBCl'IIlYlIlYQIltlOIl what 

